Lately I have been playing the R&B station on my Pandora radio, I don't know if it's because I have been in my feelings lately or what but as I go from Ginuwine to Anthony Hamilton I began thinking...Am I the only one who miss R&B?
I love listening to the late 80's to early 2000's R&B because you can feel the soul and emotion in the artist's voice. The words paint a picture of warmth, and comfort...but where is that now? Of course, many of the popular artists are alive but who will carry on the beat when their time is done?
Many artist are multi-genre (if that's a word), but what is to come of that raw R&B? For those loyal BET viewers, you may be familiar with the new R&B group June's Diary. This group was formed through Kelly Rowland's hit show, Chasing Destiny. The purpose of the show was to create a hit R&B girl group. Some of their new songs include L.A.N.C.E. and It's Alright, which are smooth songs to play.
What I admire about this group is that contrary to the trend of baring so much skin, they decided early on, that they would dress in a manner appropriate for their diverse audience. In the BET article Kelly's Girls Save Girl Groups Forever, written by Sowmya Krishnamurt, the girls expressed that they wanted to be "positive role models for girls, especially Black girls." Well done ladies!
Aside from learning about June's Diary, SOME of my other favorite R&B artist include (I cannot include them all because there are so many):
Elle Varner - I love her style of being that down to earth young women. Her lyrics express things that we women face and think about periodically if not daily. In her song 'So Fly' she breaks down the things that she thinks will get her man but comes to the conclusion that she is fine just the way she is.
Anthony - who doesn't love his voice?! His music is timeless and he's an artist that has reached multiple generations (i.e. My mom and I listen to him, and we rarely agree on music). A must-listen is I'm Cool because it reminds us that we do not need all of these material thing to make us happy, as long as we have the right people around us, things will be fine.
Andre 3000 - It all started with 'Hey Ya' when he was in Outkast with Big Boi that got me hooked to Andre 3000. From his uncommon but snazzy style ,to his lyrics that will have you singing and dancing while doing chores, Andre 3000 is an artist that cannot be duplicated.
Lauryn Hill - This would not be an accurate list without the one and only Lauryn Hill! Her music (especially The Miseducation) is still relevant today as it was when it was first produced. She had many of us jamming to gospel music when she threw some soul into Joyful, Joyful on the 90's movie, Sister Act 2.
Erykah Badu - The HBCU R&B queen herself also had to make the list! From fashionably trendsetting to her entertaining twitter account, this queen stays relevant through more than just her music. My first encounter with Ms. Badu was listening to Tyrone with my mother (at around age 5 or 6) thinking 'Oh,my'.
Ginuwine, Musiq Soulchild, Jaheem, Neyo - Just because they are grouped together doesn't mean they lack importance, I just can't have this list going to infinity and beyond! But from the grown and sexy to the 'wow this is our song' music, these men bless my Pandora with their lyrical geniuses. Ginuwine was the 90's Bryson Tillar so to speak, and Musiq Soulchild sung everything everyone was thinking about someone else.
What I love most about R&B is that its real, it's not so much about money, sex, cars, and how fortunate one is over another. We all can (or will) relate to R&B because it speaks volumes, its not just noise with a good beat. We latch on to the words because they make sense to us. If my list or anything said is inaccurate feel free to correct me, I'm new to opening up to the world.
picture credits:
Elle Varner: http://sharethefiles.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=221...
Andre 3000: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448811919086791674/
Ginuwine: http://www.steveharveytv.com/men-of-90s-rb-week-gi...
Musiq Soulchild: http://www.fhouston.com/frank-is-now-touring-with-...
